Can 20hz Low frequencies send to 60hz-18khz Speakers can damage Speakers ?

[Kawachick]

Hello all!.. here's my story:

I have a Yorkville M1610 PA system that can handle 20hz to 18Khz.
I have Behringer B212XL passive speakers that can handle 60hz to 18khz

I use this system for a guitar playing and singing, with bunch of friends.

Now, I'm getting a Bass Guitar. I'm not a Bass player, I'm getting one to learn.

I've read that lower frequency on a Bass guitar would be around 40hz. The Bass I'm getting says 20Hz in specs.

I don't have money to get a Bass Amp for now.

Some people tell me NOT to plus my Bass in my system.
Some people (like a wicked guitar player friend that owns a music store, sells Bass amp and all instruments for over 25years and I'm pretty sure knows what he's talking about), tells me it won't damage anything. ''Plug your Bass and have fun'' he says.
The only thing that is going to happen is that I won't hear the frequencys lower than 60hz (wich I don't really care cause I've read that you can't hear 20hz after 40years old anyways.. . If it's a question of 'sounding', I really don't mind for now.. If it can damage my speakers, that's another story.

Need other people inputs please. All I want is being able to play Bass in my livingroom without damaging my speakers...
And please... just people who knows what they are talking about

Thank you kindly

 

[slipperybidness]

Hello all!.. here's my story:

I have a Yorkville M1610 PA system that can handle 20hz to 18Khz.
I have Behringer B212XL passive speakers that can handle 60hz to 18khz

I use this system for a guitar playing and singing, with bunch of friends.

Now, I'm getting a Bass Guitar. I'm not a Bass player, I'm getting one to learn.

I've read that lower frequency on a Bass guitar would be around 40hz. The Bass I'm getting says 20Hz in specs.

I don't have money to get a Bass Amp for now.

Some people tell me NOT to plus my Bass in my system.
Some people (like a wicked guitar player friend that owns a music store, sells Bass amp and all instruments for over 25years and I'm pretty sure knows what he's talking about), tells me it won't damage anything. ''Plug your Bass and have fun'' he says.
The only thing that is going to happen is that I won't hear the frequencys lower than 60hz (wich I don't really care cause I've read that you can't hear 20hz after 40years old anyways.. . If it's a question of 'sounding', I really don't mind for now.. If it can damage my speakers, that's another story.

Need other people inputs please. All I want is being able to play Bass in my livingroom without damaging my speakers...
And please... just people who knows what they are talking about

Thank you kindly

I will try to be short and concise.

If the speakers are "good" down to 60Hz, it usually doesn't mean that it is a "brick wall" at 60Hz (no response below 60Hz at all). That is simply a freq where your response falls fast. Depending on the manufacturer, a "response down to 60Hz" may mean that 60Hz is the -3dB point or the -6dB point.

Next up, 20Hz is the threshold for human hearing, regardless of age.

Next, how often would you ever even hit the 20Hz notes anyway? Probably not often as you may or may not even hear it (but you might feel it if the volume is cranked).

So, at 20Hz, you may not get much of a response out of your system. If you play 20Hz, the system will still try to reproduce it, but it will basically be wasted power.

If it were my gear, I would take the advice of your friend that has 25 years experience. If it makes you feel better, then keep the volume low at the beginning to test it all out and go from there.

And the real question: Who exactly are these people that told you NOT to plug it in? Why would you even listen to them if you have a friend that has a music shop? And, I think you can trust that guy as a "friend" if he tells you to "plug it in and have fun" and DOES NOT try to sell you something. A less-honest person would give you some BS and get some $ out of your pocket.

 

[Kawachick]

I will try to be short and concise.

If the speakers are "good" down to 60Hz, it usually doesn't mean that it is a "brick wall" at 60Hz (no response below 60Hz at all). That is simply a freq where your response falls fast. Depending on the manufacturer, a "response down to 60Hz" may mean that 60Hz is the -3dB point or the -6dB point.

Next up, 20Hz is the threshold for human hearing, regardless of age.

Next, how often would you ever even hit the 20Hz notes anyway? Probably not often as you may or may not even hear it (but you might feel it if the volume is cranked).

So, at 20Hz, you may not get much of a response out of your system. If you play 20Hz, the system will still try to reproduce it, but it will basically be wasted power.

If it were my gear, I would take the advice of your friend that has 25 years experience. If it makes you feel better, then keep the volume low at the beginning to test it all out and go from there.

And the real question: Who exactly are these people that told you NOT to plug it in? Why would you even listen to them if you have a friend that has a music shop? And, I think you can trust that guy as a "friend" if he tells you to "plug it in and have fun" and DOES NOT try to sell you something. A less-honest person would give you some BS and get some $ out of your pocket.

Thank you slipperybidness, you are right about I should trust a guy in the music business with a store that doesn't try to sell me an amp, I had the same thought. .. My post here was really to understand more, cause he didn't go much in explanation, just say to plug and have fun, no danger. I just felt I need to understand why it's safe. And I do want to know what I'm talking about when I reply to another friend that would tell me NOT to do that ! haha

And these people who told me NOT to, are people that 'Heard' not to do it, ya know...

 

[crossedover]

Just use a crossover and you can blend them easily. Behringer makes a few inexpensive ones.

 

[Kawachick]

Sorry I'm an audio ignorant . Why would I need a crossover? What would that do in simple words?. My amp does take my Bass without a problem.

 

[slipperybidness]

Sorry I'm an audio ignorant . Why would I need a crossover? What would that do in simple words?. My amp does take my Bass without a problem.

Crossover = electronic signal filter.

What he's getting at is to use a crossover to filter out any signals below 60Hz. That would probably be a valid approach as well, and a safe approach, but most likely unnecessary.

 

[rojo]

I agree with slipperybidness and your music shop friend. The biggest danger with playing notes too low for a speaker to handle is with damaging the tweet. However, this is more of a concern with a home or car audio speaker's dome / ribbon / etc. tweeters than with horns. Performance speaker cabinets like your Behringer B212XL are pretty flexible. I've never used that one in particular, but I have shared a keyboard amp / cabinet with bass players on many occasions at live performance volumes with no distortion or damage to the speaker. Just set aside your fear, uncertainty and doubt and go for it.

 

[Kawachick]

I agree with slipperybidness and your music shop friend. The biggest danger with playing notes too low for a speaker to handle is with damaging the tweet. However, this is more of a concern with a home or car audio speaker's dome / ribbon / etc. tweeters than with horns. Performance speaker cabinets like your Behringer B212XL are pretty flexible. I've never used that one in particular, but I have shared a keyboard amp / cabinet with bass players on many occasions at live performance volumes with no distortion or damage to the speaker. Just set aside your fear, uncertainty and doubt and go for it.

Well thanks alot guys.. you did reassured me .. Now I do I understand a little more. Getting my first Bass tonight, sooo excited !! Too many guitar players in my gang haha.. tried one the other day and I heard the call !!

Thanks again.. !

 

[Ampdog]

Kawachick,

Ouch ...... Good advice so far (I always avoid the use of the better term "sound advice" ...) - but the danger is a technical one. The lower the note, the larger the excursion (amplitude) of the cone. Whether heard/noticed or not, inputting a 20 Hz note to a loudspeaker means that it might be subjected to a larger cone excursion than mechanically allowed for. This is very dependant on the cabinet design; it may limit cone movement at those frequencies, or have a peak somewhere that augments it. (This is not part of the frequency response spec; that only denotes the useful audible range as said.) In the latter case you are in trouble. The voice coil former might hit mechanical limits at end of excursion, or in the long run wear out the suspension.

How does one know this? Without instruments to test (a signal generator) it is a risk. No, I am not a guitarist, but would imagine that 20 Hz notes do not come along that often. Using your system with other media .... with digital sound these days, who knows what frequencies might pop up. A moderate l.f. filter is easy to install in your amplifier if you know electronics, otherwise ..... (Only not in the loudspeaker leads!)